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Albaladejo completes journey back to Majors

Albaladejo completes journey back to Majors

PHOENIX -- Chase Field is over 5,000 miles from Japan, where Jonathan Albaladejo spent all of 2011 with the Yomiuri Giants after three part-time seasons with the Yankees.

One year later, the D-backs reliever is back in the Major Leagues after being called up from Triple-A Reno when Daniel Hudson went on the disabled list Saturday.

"I can't describe it. This is where I wanted to be all the time," Albaladejo said. "It feels great, and hopefully I can stick around some."

The 29-year-old made his Major League debut with the Nationals before being traded to the Yankees for All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard. Albaladejo has a 4.15 ERA in 73 2/3 big league innings.

Through eight relief appearances in Reno this season, he had a 2.35 ERA.

"We we're coming down from Fresno, and we got into Reno at 5 in the morning, then the trainer told me go talk to the manager," Albaladejo said. "I was nervous, but I went in there and he told me. I'm just happy to be here."

D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said he doesn't know a lot about Albaladejo, but executive vice president and general manager Kevin Towers saw him while he was with the Yankees. The reliever was promoted to put a fresh arm in a tired D-backs bullpen.

"He's got experience," Gibson said, "but he wouldn't be in leverage situations; he'll be in there earlier. He could go a couple innings. We've used the bullpen a lot. That's why he's up here."

After a tough road back to the Majors, Albaladejo isn't sure how he'll react when he's on the mound again, but he's got a game plan in mind.

"I'm just going to try to go out there and keep doing what I've been doing," he said. "Try to focus on throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count. Hopefully, I'll be calm and focused, but I really don't know how I'm going to feel."